La Liga matched Serie A offer to keep me - LFP president Javier Tebas

Published on: 27 February 2018

This week's Player Power Rankings see La Liga dominate across the board, with Luis Suarez's hat trick and two assists topping the list.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has revealed that he was close to accepting an offer to lead Serie A before Spanish clubs voted to match the wages he would have earned in Italy.

At the helm of the Spanish Football League (LFP) since 2013, Tebas has been working on strengthening the finances of the country's 42-first and second-division teams and pushing for La Liga to compete with the English Premier League on an economic level.

His work did not go unnoticed as Italy's Serie A made an attempt to prise the 55-year-old lawyer away by reportedly offering him almost four times what he earned in Spain.

"It was truly a very good offer and if it hadn't been because of an indiscretion where the story was leaked to the Italian press, I would be in Italy right now," Tebas told Cadena Ser radio.

"The Italian press even published the financial offer I had been given while there was nothing in the Spanish media. The moment the Spanish outfits found out, they were worried and they matched the offer. More crucially for me was the fact that 35 Spanish clubs wanted me to continue."

Tebas did not reveal his new wages but according to Marca his salary has almost quadrupled and he now earns a reported €1.2 million net per year plus bonuses.

"I'm very happy because it's a recognition of the work done not just by me but by the clubs that have trusted all the projects and pushed for the foundation of our brand, for financial control, international growth, good governance, schemes against violence and in favour of integration," Tebas said.

"That is what Italy liked and were looking to find someone to lead their project. We have to be proud."

Tebas oversaw the centralisation of television broadcasting rights in Spanish football during his first term and ran unopposed for a four-year term in 2016.

Adriana Garcia is a Valencia-based football writer who covers La Liga for ESPN FC.

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Source: espn.co.uk

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